Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yokey West’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yokey West’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant habit; vigorous and strong growth habit; freely branching habit; strong, dark green foliage; uniform flowering; nine-week response time; numerous large daisy-type inflorescences that are about 7.8 cm in diameter; dark orange to red-colored ray florets with golden yellow longitudinal streaks radiating from the base longitudinally; large disc with green disc florets that are slow to mature to bright yellow; and good postproduction longevity with inflorescences and leaves maintaining good substance and color for about three weeks in an interior environment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Dendranthema grandiflora andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Yokey West.

The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. The objective of thebreeding program is to create new pot-type Chrysanthemum cultivarshaving desirable inflorescence forms and floret colors and goodpost-production longevity.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross made by the Inventor inOctober, 1994, in Salinas, Calif., of a proprietary Dendranthemagrandiflora seedling selection identified as YB-5792, as the female, orseed, parent, with a proprietary Dendranthema grandiflora seedlingselection identified as YB-4369, as the male, or pollen, parent.

The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as aflowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlledenvironment in Alva, Fla., in November, 1995. The selection of thisplant was based on its desirable inflorescence form and floret colorsand good post-production longevity.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by terminal cuttingsharvested in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla., has shown that theunique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced trueto type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Yokey West has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Yokey West’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Yokey West’ as a new and distinctChrysanthemum:

1. Compact; upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded planthabit.

2. Vigorous and strong growth habit.

3. Freely branching habit, full and dense plants.

4. Strong, dark green foliage.

5. Uniform flowering.

6. Nine-week response time.

7. Very freely flowering; numerous large daisy-type inflorescences thatare about 7.8 cm in diameter; best produced as a natural spray-typeChrysanthemum.

8. Dark orange to red-colored ray florets with golden yellowlongitudinal streaks radiating from the base longitudinally; ray floretsheld upright.

9. Large disc with green disc florets that are slow to mature to brightyellow.

10. Good postproduction longevity with inflorescences and leavesmaintaining good substance and color for about three weeks in aninterior environment.

The new Chrysanthemum can be compared to the Chrysanthemum cultivarTijuana Sunset, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,462. However inside-by-side comparisons in Salinas, Calif., and Leamington, Ontario,Canada, under commercial practice, plants of the new Chrysanthemumdiffer from plants of the cultivar Tijuana Sunset in the followingcharacteristics:

1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more vigorous than plants of thecultivar Tijuana Sunset.

2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have lighter green and more deeplylobed leaves than plants of the cultivar Tijuana Sunset.

3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower about four or five days laterthan plants of the cultivar Tijuana Sunset.

4. Ray florets of the new Chrysanthemum are lighter red in color thanray florets of the cultivar Tijuana Sunset.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Chrysanthemum showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.

The photograph at the top of the first sheet comprises a sideperspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Yokey West’.

The photograph at the bottom of the first sheet comprises a close-upview of a inflorescence and upper (left) and lower (right) surfaces oftypical leaves of the cultivar Yokey West.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet comprises a sideperspective view of typical flowering plants of ‘Yokey West’ (left) and‘Tijuana Sunset’ (right).

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet comprises a close-upview of typical inflorescences of plants of ‘Yokey West’ (left) and‘Tijuana Sunset’ (right). Floret and foliage colors in the photographsmay appear different from the actual colors due to light reflectance.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observationsand measurements describe plants grown in Salinas, Calif., andLeamington, Ontario, Canada, under greenhouse conditions whichapproximate those generally used in commercial potted Chrysanthemumproduction. Four unrooted cuttings were directly stuck in a 15-cmcontainer and pinched once. Plants used for this description were grownas natural spray-types. Measurements and numerical values representaverages of typical flowering plants.

Botanical classification: Dendranthema grandiflora cultivar Yokey West.

Commercial classification: Daisy spray-type pot Chrysanthemum.

Parentage:

Female or seed parent.—Proprietary Dendranthema grandiflora seedlingselection identified as code number YB-5792.

Male or pollen parent.—Proprietary Dendranthema grandiflora seedlingselection identified as code number YB-4369.

Propagation:

Type.—Terminal tip cuttings.

Time to rooting.—Seven to ten days with soil temperatures of 21° C.

Rooting habit.—Fine, fibrous and well-branched.

Plant description:

Appearance.—Herbaceous daisy pot Chrysanthemum typically grown as aspray-type. Inverted triangle; compact growth habit; upright andoutwardly spreading giving a uniformly mounded appearance to the plant.Vigorous and strong plants. Freely branching; about four lateralbranches develop after removal of terminal apex (pinching); dense andfull plants.

Plant height.—About 28 cm.

Plant width.—About 42 cm.

Stem color.—144A.

Stem texture.—Pubescent.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate. Length: About 6.75 cm.Width: About 5.6 cm. Apex: Mucronate. Base: Truncate to attenuate.Margin: Palmately lobed, sinuses between lateral lobes parallel toconvergent. Texture: Upper and lower surfaces with very fine pubescence;veins prominent on lower surface. Petiole length: About 2.5 cm. Petiolediameter: About 3 mm. Color: Young foliage upper surface: 147A. Youngfoliage lower surface: 147B. Mature foliage upper surface: 147A. Maturefoliage lower surface: 147B. Venation upper surface: 147A. Venationlower surface: 147B.

Inflorescence description:

Appearance.—Daisy inflorescence form with elongated-shaped ray florets.Inflorescences borne on terminals above foliage, arising from leafaxils. Disk and ray florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum.

Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plant flowers in theautumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other times of the year,inflorescence initiation and development can be induced under shortday/long night conditions (at least 13.5 hours of darkness). Plantsexposed to three weeks of long day/short night conditions after plantingfollowed by photoinductive short day/long night conditions flower aboutnine weeks later.

Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences and leaves will maintain goodcolor and substance for about three weeks in an interior environment.

Quantity of inflorescences.—Very freely flowering; about eightinflorescences per lateral branch or about 32 to 35 inflorescences perplant.

Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 8 mm. Color:Greener than 143A.

Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 7.8 cm. Depth (height): About 2.2cm. Diameter of disc: About 1.9 cm.

Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated. Orientation: Mostly upright, about 110°to peduncle. Aspect: Straight. Length: About 3.9 cm. Width: About 9 mm.Apex: Pointed or emarginate. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth, velvety.Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 32. Color: When opening:Bright yellow, more intense than 9A; quickly becoming red and yellow.Fully opened, upper surface: Base, yellow, more intense than 9A;mid-section and apex, yellow, more intense than 9A, heavily overlaidwith color more orange red than 45A-45B. Iridescent. Fully opened, lowersurface: Base, yellow, 9A; mid-section and apex, yellow, 9A, lightlyoverlaid with red, close to 45A-46A.

Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular. Apex: Serrated. Length: About 7.5 mm.Width: Apex, about 1.5 mm; base, about 1 mm. Number of disc florets perinflorescence: Numerous, about 173. Color: Immature: 144A to 154A; slowto mature. Mature: Apex: 7A to 9A. Mid-section: Light green. Base:White, 155D.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets only. Anthercolor: 9A. Pollen amount: None observed. Gynoecium: Present on both rayand disc florets.

Disease resistance: Resistance to pathogens common to Chrysanthemums hasnot been observed on plants grown under commercial greenhouseconditions.

Seed production: Seed production has not been observed.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct culivar of Chrysanthemum plantnamed ‘Yokey West’, as illustrated and described.